How to Find Work Straight Out of Law School

After leaving law school, you have the challenging task of finding your first job. While experienced lawyers are often in high demand, new lawyers often struggle to find their first position. However, if you’re concerned about your first job, here are some steps you could take to find employment after graduation.

Apply to Multiple Jobs

Although you probably have your dream job in mind, your first job may not be this one. Since you likely have debt or simply need to find a stable income, finding a job is your priority. Even if it’s not the job you love, apply for openings in your field. The more opportunities that you seek out, the greater your chance of being hired. Apply for every reasonable job you can find when you’re getting started.

Be Flexible

When you start off, you may not be able to write your ticket. Be as flexible as you can with your early career. For example, you may need to move location in order to take your first job. Even if you love your area, there may not be any good jobs open. Consider broadening your search if the job market in your city is poor.

The good news is that moving to a larger area may often result in better job opportunities. Big firms like Tully Rinckey are often headquartered in bigger markets. Firms like these offer a wide range of legal services from criminal to business law and many others. Big box firms may have better opportunities for you as you get started and get some experience before you move to your preferred field.

Network with Everyone You Can

You probably know the importance of networking but it’s incredibly important to leverage your network in order to get your first job. Throughout law school, you may have met lawyers in the field. Reach out to your contacts to let them know that you are job searching. Even if those firms aren’t hiring, they may know of opportunities and be able to put in a good word for you.

Use Career Services

All schools will have a career services office that’s frequently forgotten by students. They may know of job openings in your area and can often put you in touch with the alumni of the law school who can expand your network. This is also a good idea if you need to do some work on your interviewing skills. Although you may be a good writer and speaker, interviewing is a particular skill that can make or break your job search. Schedule a mock interview and resume review with the career services when you start to job search. You may be surprised at how beneficial they can be for your career.

Although job searching can be a frustrating experience, there are plenty of jobs available for new law school graduates. Use this advice to find your first job out of school and get started down a great career path. With this advice, you’ll be able to find a position in your area and build for the future.